here he's 4 years old. basically a witness came down here, and took care of him and guided him. and then that's when fire rescue arrived. police then put the child on the concrete over here we're hearing, and they cut off his clothes. we're hearing that he has serious injuries, life-threatening injuries. but a lot of folks out here, back out live, a lot of folks standing around, many of them talking all about this. a lot of them are trying to figure out what exactly happened. and they're very happy that this child survived. we're now going to talk to, you're going to hear from one of the witnesses. let's hear that. >> how lucky. very, very lucky. to see that fall, he's a very lucky child. >> reporter: very lucky indeed. once again, that is the eighth floor apartment. it appears, you see that woman peeking out of there? i understand that is one of the investigators. they're in there right now trying to figure out how this

child fell. and we'll continue to bring updates on news4. you can also follow us at nbcwashington.com. live here in silver spring, shomari stone, news4. more breaking news, this time in olney, maryland. chopper 4 over this townhouse fire, about a half hour ago in the 4500 block of king lane. firefighters tell us they can't get too close, because of the intensity of the fire. as you can see, the house has collapsed. we'll keep you updated on this one. three robberies of students at the university of maryland, in the last 24 hours. two of them behind a new off-campus building. tonight there's a campus safety walk that is planned. jackie bensen is live at college park with this. >> reporter: hello, wendy. we have important images to show you. we received them just a short time ago. we are told that these images show the man who is believed to be the suspect in this case. now, all three robberies happened off-campus, but close enough for students to be concerned.

>> i'm kind of nervous they didn't catch them. it's never happened behind my building before. and i don't want to tell my mom. >> reporter: prince george's county police say that on wednesday night about 7:00, a university of maryland student was walking alone in the 9200 block of baltimore avenue when he was robbed at gun point and struck in the face. about three hours later, two female students, both walking alone, were robbed at gunpoint within minutes of each other behind the university view apartments in the 8400 block of baltimore avenue. the view is off campus and not owned by the university, but all of its residents are students. it happened at the back of the high-rise where there are numerous security cameras. foot paths are the quickest route to campus. >> pretty dark. it's patchy. patches of light. >> especially if you take a right past this bridge, that path goes on for miles, with absolutely nothing there.

easy escape. >> reporter: there's also a busy parking lot next door to the apartment building. both locations have blue light security stations which are also equipped with cameras. because security concerns can change due to new buildings or even the opening of a new business, the campus conducts an annual safety walk. this year's walk was already scheduled to take place this evening. >> tonight we're going to walk around with these groups, look at these locations, see what we can do better about lighting, landscaping, do we need to put another emergency phone in, add cameras and so forth. >> reporter: the safety walk starts at 6:30. reporting live in college park, jackie bensen, news4. four children were killed today and one adult in a row house fire in a baltimore house fire this morning. baltimore firefighters say a total of ten people were inside the house. four children ages 1 to 7, and their 55-year-old grandmother. they couldn't get out. one man was hurt when he jumped from a second-floor window.

jennifer spoke to neighbors and family members this morning. >> reporter: utter devastation for a family grieving the loss of four small children and their grandmother. the scene on the 5000 block of denwood avenue was caught on cell phone video by a neighbor. he describes waking up to silence and smoke. >> it was smoke, fire, you could see the fire coming out the windows. and the fire department, they just -- you know, they were trying to get it out the best they can. but it was rolling. >> reporter: ten people were reportedly inside the house when it caught fire around 2:00 in the morning. several had to jump from windows. >> she threw her baby out the window and she jumped out. >> reporter: with reports of children trapped inside, firefighters went to the second floor. but there they encountered problems of their own. >> our firefighters went through those conditions to get, to suppress the fire and get to the second floor where it was reported people were. it was during that time that a firefighter fell through the second floor into the basement onto another firefighter.

>> reporter: both firefighters were rescued and they were sent to the hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries. but here among the dead, young children, ages 1, 3, 5 and 7. that's according to stunned family members who are counting their unimaginable losses. >> i have a grandson. my nieces and my nephews. and then my mother and my stepfather. my stepfather got out. >> investigators still don't know how that fire started. it is debate night. the vice presidential candidates getting ready to square off at center college in danville, kentucky. this is the only debate between vice president joe biden and congressman paul ryan. they have been preparing for weeks. analysts say stakes are higher after last week's debate in denver. mitt romney's strong performance has led to new momentum in the polls. the latest nbc news poll shows romney gained support in three swing states. it shows him leading by one

point now in virginia. obama's lead in florida has shrunk to a single point and lost two points in ohio. he was leading romney by eight before the debate, now mr. obama is up by six. get ready for even colder temps on the way, folks. we could see our first freeze. meteorologist doug kammerer is outside on the storm 4 weather deck. doug? >> oh, yeah, high, guys. temperatures out here right now, 62 degrees out at the airport right now. winds out of the south at 7 miles per hour. humidity at 35%. very cool afternoon right now. we're going to be a lot cooler as we move through the next 24 hours or so. temperatures around the region, 61 in gaithersburg, 61 in leesburg, and 64 down towards fredericksburg. with this sunshine, feeling pretty good across much of the area, ashe sun goes down, however, we will cool off fairly quickly. let's head down to the silver spring area, around rosemary hills. i went there for a school talk earlier today. we'll show pictures in just a minute. 57 degrees at 7:00, 51 degrees by 11:00, and waking up to a

cool 42 degrees early tomorrow morning. going to be a chilly start tomorrow. but wait until you see how cold we get tomorrow night. freeze watches in effect. >> yikes. the washington nationals, they're facing elimination right now. the nats struck first, adam laroche hit a home run in the second inning. nats up 1-0. fingers crossed. >> yeah. win and play again tomorrow night. lose, and the season is over. fans packed nats park again today, and they are not giving up. news4's pat collins is live at the park with more. hi, pat. >> reporter: hi, jim. you know, less ceremony today, a sense of seriousness as the nats get down to the business of baseball. today no big balloons. no big flag. no big drum line band. today it's time for baseball.

today it's time to get down to business. and on this beautiful chamber of commerce day, the nats find themselves with their backs against the wall. do or die. >> do! >> reporter: sink or swim? >> swim! >> reporter: fight or fall? >> fight. >> reporter: can they do it? >> absolutely. >> it might be over. >> reporter: over? >> yeah, it's over. >> reporter: over? who says it's over? it's not over till we say it's over. remember when the germans bombed pearl harbor? >> leave him alone, he's on a roll. >> reporter: because when the going gets tough -- >> the tough get going. >> reporter: now, who's with me? >> yea! >> reporter: do or die? >> do. for sure. >> reporter: sink or swim? >> swim. >> reporter: fight or fall? >> fight. >> reporter: this is a game of

great consequence. it requires extraordinary measures. the rubber chicken sacrifice. >> i'll wave that chicken, i'm going to wave it that way. >> reporter: the magic hair hat. every time you've worn this hat to a nats game, they've -- >> won. >> reporter: how many games you been to? >> four. >> reporter: today this will do the trick? >> yep. >> reporter: why, even some divine intervention. what's it going to take to win, father? >> maybe a small miracle, but i think they'll pull it off. i've been praying all morning for this. >> reporter: you all know what to do. this is our -- >> house. >> reporter: and no one comes in to our -- >> house. >> reporter: and pushes us -- >> around. >> reporter: let's go get them! >> yeah! >> reporter: so here we are, in the top of the fourth, and it's tied 1-1. there is still hope here at nats

park. i'm pat collins, reporting live from southeast. >> hope and a whole lot of fun out there. thanks, pat. see you at 6:00. traffic in part of northern virginia, oh, it's going to get worse before it gets better. vdot is getting ready to shut done the i-66 east ramp as part of the express lane project we've been hearing so much about. that ramp will close after the morning rush tomorrow. richard jordan spoke to some drivers who are eager for this project to just get over. richard? >> reporter: the view behind the wheel has more brake lights than open road at the i-66 interchange. cones and barriers create commuter confusion. but all the work started four years ago now, and is in the final stretch. for many drivers the end can't come soon enough. >> hurry up. >> reporter: but before the construction is complete, the last projects are shifting into high gear. the left hov ramp taking drivers

from i-66 east to 495 north will close friday after the morning rush hour. >> hov motorists will have this ramp shut off. they will have to take the general purpose ramp on the right to go onto 495 north. and also, those people heading to 495 south, they're going to -- they can still take the ramp at 495 south. >> reporter: that means drivers will use the same ramp. vdot will paint the ramp while drivers yield, merge and hit the brakes. those who frequently drive in the area say the a.m. is mayhem. >> around 7:00, 8:00. if you're here before 6:00, you don't face the traffic. but after that, you do face the traffic pretty bad. >> reporter: even transportation workers feel the frustration. >> we live here. we drive through it. so we're part of the pack. so we understand it. but we know that the end is

near. and the opening is coming. and there are better times that lie ahead and more options to getting in and around northern virginia. >> reporter: the 66 east hov ramp has already been closing daily for the past few weeks, but only during off-peak hours when traffic is light. then it opens up again. starting tomorrow, it will be closed 24/7 until the express lanes open sometime before the new year. jim and wendy? >> yikes. >> a long time. thank you, richard. when we come back, the national zoo reveals exactly what killed the baby panda just days after birth. it's already years behind schedule. the news isn't getting any better for the massive transportation p

[ female announcer ] it's one of the hardest decisions a family can make... realizing a nursing home is the only choice. for many middle class families, medicaid is the only way to afford the care.

but as a governor, mitt romney raised nursing home fees eight times. and as president, his budget cuts medicaid by one-third and burdens families with the cost of nursing home care. we have a president who won't let that happen. [ obama ] i'm barack obama and i approved this message.

the national zoo's giant panda mei xiang is back in the public eye for the first time since the death of her cub. zoo officials announced the cub believed to be a female died from a combination of liver and lung problems. they say her lungs had not fully developed, and likely didn't provide enough oxygen to her liver. meantime, they say the cub's mother, mei xiang, is slowly returning to normal, but her appetite is still less than it should be. >> she wasn't eating when she was in the den, so she's down in

weight about 20 pounds from her normal 240. she's about 220 this week. >> because this is a breeding program at the zoo, zoo officials say they will consult with colleagues in china on whether the current two pandas will remain or be swapped out with two for better breeding prospects. chilly start to the day. it's only going to get cooler you say. >> i think we're in for some really cold air tomorrow night. i think some areas could not only get in the 30s, like the d.c. area, maybe below freezing. and maybe the upper 20s. >> whew. >> already? >> now, that is chilly. yes, already, wendy. went out to another school today. this one in silver spring. i want to say hello to all of the kindergarteners at rosemary hill elementary school. this is my son's class. and all of the other 250 kindergarteners that go to rosemary hill, it is a k through 2 school. that kindergarten making up 250

students. my son kenton and mrs. stoech's class. i wanted to say hello to all the kindergarteners today. i told the kids, get the coats ready, i also told them a little bit about the winter coming up here. but i can't tell you yet, because the winter forecast coming up in november. >> hey, they already told us. >> they told you? >> yeah. they have cell phones. >> kids. 62 out there right now. winds out of the south about 7 miles per hour. with plenty of sunshine. the sun, really helping today. so even though we're ten degrees below average, or at least close to ten degrees below average, we're still quite nice with all that sunshine. 64 right now in fredericksburg. 60 in martinsburg. as far as the rain is concerned, we're not going to see any. all clear right now. that's the way it will stay probably throughout the next couple of days, right on into the weekend. but i want to show you this. this is a freeze watch for tomorrow night for as close as montgomery county, over towards

loudoun county, and the entire panhandle of west virginia, clark county, virginia, too, under that freeze watch. i think temperatures will not only get below freezing, but some areas could be in the upper 20s, especially some of the sheltered valleys here that see some of the colder air. get ready for that. bring in the plants if you need to. it will not affect areas from washington down to the south, but we could still see potential for frost if we get enough moisture in the atmosphere. clear skies. plenty of sun. high pressure dominating. that brought us the cool air today. another front moves through tomorrow. that brings in the coldest air. even cooler air setting up for tomorrow night and into the day on saturday. but once again, with high pressure, sunshine will be abundant. at least we'll be on the sunny side of things. clear skies, cooling quickly this evening, 51 to about 56 degrees. a few clouds tomorrow morning. a chilly start, 37 to 46 degrees. winds out of the northwest at 5

to 10 miles an hour. tomorrow afternoon, sun and clouds, temperatures 59 to 65. the winds 10 to 20 miles per hour. speaking of winds, we get real cold friday night into saturday. sunday, up to 73. that's because our winds shift out of the southwest at 20 to 30 miles an hour. going to be a windy one. plenty of sunshine. the weekend looking pretty good. >> coats tomorrow? >> he tells me. dad, you've got to wear your coat. >> how come you didn't circle him so we could see which one he was? >> i don't have a circler. >> dad, come on. >> come on, wendy. straight ahead, is getting pet insurance really worth the price? liz crenshaw will break down the plan for your furry family member. in sports tonight we rewind to a redskins classic against let me tell you how i will create 12 million jobs

when president obama couldn't. first, my energy independence policy means more than three million new jobs. many of them in manufacturing. my tax reform plan to lower rates for the middle class and for small business creates seven million more. and expanding trade, cracking down on china, and improving job training takes us to over 12 million new jobs. i'm mitt romney, and i approve this message.

vikings up next. >> 24 years ago, do you know where you were? carol's going to take us back in time to a great day with the redskins and the vikings. >> no doubt you were watching this one. you know that saying and song, how you like me now. well, it was popular 24 years ago. we have the video to prove it. except back then they were saying, how do you like me now. it's just one of the many connections, not as smooth, but between the super bowl winning skins in '88 and the super squad. we invite you to take a ride back in time and check out the two teams, most famous meeting. the 1988 nfc championship game. dan hellie breaks it down in "redskins rewind." >> january 17th, 1988, play-off prayers answered. the championship of the nfc played at rfk and the redskins

exploded out of the box. first possession, doug williams hits calvin bryant from 42 yards out and it's 7-0 skins in a hurry. minnesota, finally cracks a swarming redskins defense. wade wilson with the pump fake. then 23 yards downfield to a wide-open leo lewis, we're tied at 7. late second quarter, dexter manley is the man bringing down wilson in skins territory. knocking the vikings out of field goal range. one of eight sacks on the day for the burgundy and gold. >> they felt i was a weak link. that's great. because i think that that motivates me. i think there was no question i had to rise to the occasion. but the whole football team played great. i think we made the big plays. >> a lot of times i was getting off the ball quicker than my man, because he couldn't hear the cadence. all i was doing is looking down the line and i could see the ball being snapped and i would take off then.

the 12 men really made a difference. the fans were great. >> reporter: the "d" sets up the offense in the third quarter. wilson's pass is deflected. kaufman brings it in. skins turn it into a field goal and a 10-7 lead. >> anytime you make a play in a championship game, or any championship game, it stands out. i just thank the lord i was in the right place at the right time. >> reporter: fourth quarter, and clark comes through. game tied at 10, williams third and five in his own 46. takes the long shot for gary clark and connects. 43 yards to keep the game-winning drive alive. three plays later, williams looks to clark again, and it's a touchdown. redskins lead 17-10. then came the play that brought joe gibbs to his knees. it's the last shot for the vikings, trailing by 7. fourth and four on the skins' 6. wilson thinks he has an easy

touchdown to dar legal nelson. but darrell green is there to save the day. gibbs' prayers are answered. the skins super bowl bound. >> people said we couldn't go this far. we all stuck together. when somebody says you can't do it, just believe in yourself, and we the redskins believed in each other. look at us now. how do you like us now? >> that's right, we love you. good news, rg3 practiced again today. we're going to have a full update and highlights coming up. >> good to see him healing great. >> he'll be no setbacks so far. fingers crossed. >> excellent. >> thanks, carol. coming up next, facilities in prince george's county schools received poor grades. >> we're going to tell you why it's going to take a little bit longer before you can use a massive transportation center. university of maryland students rally in support of same-sex marriage. this is chris gordon.

i'll have that story, plus an update on the diversity official placed on administrative leave for signing the petition that

[ female announcer ] it's one of the hardest decisions a family can make... realizing a nursing home is the only choice. for many middle class families, medicaid is the only way to afford the care. but as a governor, mitt romney raised nursing home fees eight times. and as president, his budget cuts medicaid by one-third and burdens families with the cost of nursing home care. we have a president who won't let that happen. [ obama ] i'm barack obama and i approved this message.

a fast forward through the headlines. investigators in montgomery county trying to figure out how a boy fell out of an apartment window this afternoon. he's in the hospital with serious injuries. he fell from the eighth floor. this was in silver spring. we're told by witnesses a tree broke his fall. fire investigators in baltimore have identified the victims killed in an early-morning house fire. a 55-year-old woman and her four grandchildren, the oldest 7, the youngest just 1 year old. five other family members managed to escape. in about an hour, the university of maryland will be holding its campus safety walk, and it's especially timely right now, because in the past 24 hours, three students were

robbed at gunpoint. all three incidents happened near off-campus housing. police believe it's the same armed suspect in all three cases. he's still at large. the latest from doug. >> temperature outside, 61 degrees. currently at the airport. back to the west, those numbers in the 50s. pittsburgh and state college. we've got cooler air moving in tonight. but again, the coolest night will be tomorrow night by far. many of you will be down around the freezing mark for the first time this year. some areas could even get into the upper 20s. we'll talk more about that, and also talk about not just the big dip, but also the nice rise in temperatures coming up. >> thank you, doug. already years behind schedule, it could be a while longer before a massive transportation center in our area opens. news4 transportation reporter adam tuss is here now with more on the troubled silver spring transit center. >> we can put the story in context this way. think of this as a major renovation to your house that

just can't seem to get done. downtown silver spring has grown in recent years. in fact, it's become somewhat of another downtown for the region. part of the master plan, a massive transit center right next to the silver spring metro station. the $100 million-plus structure is supposed to make catching a bus or taxi easier, providing easier transportation access, supposed to be finished two years ago. now, there are issues with cracking concrete in the tower and structure. today montgomery county leaders said that could mean the project won't be finished for another year. >> the extent of the cracking and the nature of cracking in this particular structure is of. some of the cracks appear to go through the deck. >> reporter: now, the structure will have to be torn down -- won't have to be torn down, just delayed. the eye sore is not welcome news to those who live or work nearby. a table comes with a view of the

unfinished transit center, the ambience less than perfect for the moment. >> i wouldn't say it's hurt our business, but it's definitely an unsightly thing. the customers do complain to an extent about that. as soon as the blinds do go up, they actually request we put them back down. >> reporter: cabs that are supposed to already be using the transit center line the street. >> they haven't told us anything. you know -- >> they told us today it might be another year. >> oh, boy. yeah, that's not good. that's not good. >> reporter: now, until the center opens, all the cabs and all the buses have to wait outside on the street, and of course, that adds to the traffic headaches. jim and wendy? >> adam tuss, thanks. >> thank you. a heads up if you plan on taking metro this weekend. track work will cause delays on the red, green and yellow lines. on the red line, trains single tracking. on the green line, single tracking between fort to ttten.

that work starts at 10:00 on friday night. it will last through sunday. metro says if you're going to be using the subway, add 15 minutes to your trip. there may be another fondler in northern virginia. a woman was groped in public in arlington and now police are warning residents. it happened last week. the man groped a woman near frederick street and columbia pike. they don't believe it's connected to springfield, virginia, over the past month. the fight over gay marriage headed to the university of maryland today, where students rallied in support of question 6 on the november ballot. it would make those unions legal in maryland. chris gordon is live at college park where students and lawmakers believe their votes could make history. chris? >> reporter: good evening. the issue of same-sex marriage today became the focus of attention on two local college campuses.

the maryland student body president kicked off the rally for marriage equality. u.s. senator ben curtain said these students can help make history by voting yes on question 6. >> this could make history, the first state to recognize gay and lesbian marriages. on an initiative. they have a chance to make history. i think they'll be proud when they look back at this moment, that maryland did lead the nation in fairness in marriage equality. >> reporter: heather and her partner were married seven years ago. >> love makes family, but it's a marriage license that protects it. the toughest of times. and question 6 will do that. >> reporter: the maryland legislature passed a bill making same-sex marriage legal this year. but opponents in an attempt to stop it, circulated petitions, that got tens of thousands of signatures statewide in order to

put question 6 on the ballot. angela the chief divert officer signed the petition. the school president placed her on administrative leave saying some feel it is inappropriate for the chief diversity officer to have signed the initiative. angela mccaskill did not answer the door at her home in prince george's county or return phone messages today. derek mccoy, part of the drive, and the campaign to vote no on question 6, wants mccaskill reinstated. >> this is something where a private citizen said, let's let the people decide on it. and as a chief diversity officer, i say that was about fairness. for her she should be reinstated. they should reconsider this immediately. >> reporter: the leaders of the campaign to vote yes on question 6 to legalize same-sex marriage agree that angela mccaskill should be reinstated. >> marylanders believe question of is about equality, about

fairness, and it's only fair dr. mccaskill be reinstated. >> reporter: i checked with the university just a few moments ago and is told there is no change. angela mccaskill tonight remains on paid administrative leave while the matter is being reviewed. live from college park, maryland, chris gordon, news4. back to you. new details tonight in the disappearance of a young girl on her way to school. >> famous canadian cousins. celebrities who are related. i'm liz crenshaw. health insurance for your pet? is it worth it? the pros and cons of paying for ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] combine the pnc cashbuilder visa credit card with a qualifying pnc performance select checking account

and earn 75% more than cards earning 1% cash back on almost everything. take away his toys and he'll play with a stick. earning 1% cash back take away their bikes and they'll still find a way to get where they're going. but if take you away early childhood education... slash k-12 funding... and cut college aid for middle class families ... they won't go far. yet that's exactly what mitt romney wants to do... ...to pay for a $250,000 tax break for multi-millionaires. if mitt romney wins, the middle class loses. priorities usa action is responsible for the content of this advertising.

several school buildings in prince george's county are in need of major renovations and repairs. in a new report, it shows most of the facilities are in fair or poor condition, and it will take

billions of dollars to spruce them up. news4's prince george's county bureau chief tracee wilkins has details plus reactions from parents. >> reporter: a new independent report shows that while new school buildings are ahead of the curve, many students are lagging far behind. one of the highest performing schools, and in maryland for that matter, but according to this new report, it also has one of the core facilities in the county. >> the facility is poor. >> reporter: tulip grove is one of three buildings considered to be in poor condition. students have been taken out of the other two facilities. 153 of the county's schools fall within the fair range. with 30 considered to be in good condition. >> i've noticed all of the county, a lot of the schools are old and need to be rebuilt and things of that nature. at least renovation.

>> reporter: the school board requests a report every four to five years. this is the first one since 2008. it was conducted by parsons, a service out of california. parents say while it's not the best news to hear, it doesn't change the way they feel about the education they're getting at least here at tulip grove. >> you go to wash your hands and clean up supplies, you have no hot water. things like that are annoying. but it's not something that is -- that totally bothers you and makes you feel bad about going to school. >> reporter: the next question is, of course, how much is it going to cost to make all of the repairs that this company is adjusting. we'll have that report coming up at 6:00 p.m. in upper marlboro, tracee wilkins, news4. the school board will review the new facility's report at its next meeting later this month. still ahead at 5:00, a local principal gets moved to the head of the class, and receives a big prize. plus, jennifer aniston's hair lands her a new gig. let me tell you how i will create 12 million jobs

when president obama couldn't. first, my energy independence policy means more than three million new jobs. many of them in manufacturing. my tax reform plan to lower rates for the middle class and for small business creates seven million more. and expanding trade, cracking down on china, and improving job training takes us to over 12 million new jobs. i'm mitt romney, and i approve this message.

americans will spend nearly $53 billion on their pets this year. and more than half of that will be on vet care and medicines. so is it worth it to have pet insurance? liz crenshaw is here with the pros and cons. >> there used to be only one major pet insurance company. there are now nearly a dozen

companies offering insurance policies for your pet. the american pet products association found the average pet owner spends more than $200 on a routine vet visit. so if your dog or cat gets injured or sick, it really can cost you. >> we hadn't planned for it. so it's been something we had to dip into savings. and put some of it on a credit card. we've been paying it off. >> reporter: melissa in northwest d.c. is talking about her vet bills. she has two cats and a dog, all who have suffered from illness. the cats have had bladder stones, teeth extractions and "c eye cataract. all have been treated and she said are living better lives. >> so it wasn't a question to us, you know, when someone says, you know, this is their life. we didn't hesitate for a second. >> reporter: she and her husband spent thousands of dollars on medical bills for their pets,

plus more for medications. >> our dog's medicine, he takes this medicine for his arthritis, this medicine for his mood, and this, he's developed allergies. the cat has several medicines that he needs to take. >> reporter: they do not have pet insurance. >> i think looking back, if we had had pet insurance, that probably would have helped us. >> i don't know that a lot of people give it that much thought. >> reporter: jessica anderson at kippinger's personal finance is a pet owner herself who bought pet insurance, but warns, do your research before you buy. >> you want to read every policy that you're considering really carefully. >> reporter: first thing to know, pet insurance will cost about $20 to $50 per month, depending on what options you choose. the higher the maximum payout, the pricier the premium. here's how it works. you pay your vet bill up front and submit it to the insurance for reimbursement. some insurance companies pay a percentage of the vet bill. and you need to know about the

deductibles. >> make sure you look at how they treat the deductibles. they can be per visit, it can be per incident, which is different. >> reporter: what will pet insurance cover? >> most of the policies are illness and accident related. >> reporter: preexisting conditions and hereditary disorders are usually not covered. plans that do offer that coverage cost more. if you decide against complete pet insurance, there's something called a wellness plan. it covers routine care such as physical exams and vaccinations. >> what i would recommend for people is to decide what your philosophy about your pet is. and how deep your pockets are, and kind of what you can afford to do. >> reporter: for van ormen who doesn't have pet insurance, she said the care she sought after was worth it. >> i don't have any complaints at all about the expense, because i think that they saw excellent people and they feel better now.

>> kippinger's personal finance recommends reading insurance company reviews before you get pet insurance. there's a place online that has the insurance reviews, simply go to our website nbcwashington.com, and search pet insurance to get that link. it's worth doing a little bit of research. >> sure. >> it may be worth it for you to put money away every month, make your own little fund, or it may be worth having insurance. >> can a dog age out? mine is like seven or eight. >> if they're older, it can be more expensive. some won't cover you at all. you have to take a look. it used to be there was one company and it was maybe not worth it. now they're saying take a look. it could be. >> yeah. >> all right. >> we are spending a lot of money. >> yes, we do. we have breaking news. the d.c. city council member accused of violating metro's code of conduct. graham, who is a former metro board member. the latest for you on news4 at

6:00. a proud hard-earned moment for two d.c. educators today. >> we're here to let your principal know that he has been selected as the d.c.ps principal of the year. >> the principal of mckinley technology high school was definitely surprised today, as principal of the year. he got tickets for today's nats game, and a check for $10,000. >> wow.th grade students at education camp. she's d.c.'s teacher of the year. th student explained how miss herrod helped him learn by promoting the love of reading and appreciating our world-class museums. people who live in prince george's county should be prepared for a possible increase in the water bill.

the washington suburban senate commission could add $5.23 to every bill starting in the spring. the wsse requested an increase to help offset the rising cost of service in both prince george's and montgomery counties. how low we going to go tonight? >> we're going to get into the upper 30s in the suburbs, low to mi mid-40s for the rest of us. tomorrow night, some of the areas could be in the upper 20s. 61 degrees right now. winds out of the south at 6 miles per hour. a very cool afternoon. temperatures about five to ten degrees below average this time of year. right now, 63 in rockville, 59 in gaithersburg, 59 in reston, and right now hunti ghuntingtow degrees. high pressure simply dominating the region with that cool air and plenty of sunshine. that high slides to the south and east. in comes the cold front for tomorrow. that will only bring us a few clouds tomorrow. it's not going to be bringing us too much. but it will help to bring in

another area of cold air. as another area of high pressure settles on in. we'll see plenty of sunshine on saturday. once again, friday night into saturday morning, it will be very, very chilly. a freeze watch is in effect to areas to the north and west. montgomery county, loudoun county and west and north of there. overnight tonight, down to 37 in frederick and martinsburg. around 45 in annapolis. tomorrow, i think once again with plenty of sunshine, and the front moving through during the day, that should allow temperatures to bump up a little bit from where they were today. maybe by one or two degrees, 64 in washington, 63 in leesburg, 59 in martinsburg. fredericksburg coming in with a temperature of 66 degrees. a mixture of sun and clouds tomorrow. as we make our way through the next couple of days, very cool, 39. this is inside the beltway here on saturday. then going up to a high of 62. the winds then shift. we get up to 73 on sunday, before 74 on monday. slight chance of a shower on

monday. then the rest of the week, cold, cold here. and then it looks nice as we head through the rest of next week. >> yes, it does. looking at some of today's top trending stories. tom hanks is making his broadway debut next year. producers of the play lucky guy announced that hanks will play a new york city newspaper columnist. the late nora efrom wrote this play. they worked together in the movie "sleepless in seattle." opening night for "lucky guy" april 1st. jennifer aniston, living proof said the 43-year-old actress will be active in brand development and marketing. aniston is currently filming a new movie we're the millers. she was chosen for her unique combination of beauty and brains. aniston says she likes "living proof" because of its scientific technologies to offer beauty

results. turns out talent runs in the family for justin bieber. ancestry.com discovered bieber is a distant actor of ryan gosling. they claim the canadian-born stars all come from families that were some of the earliest settlers in quebec. i think we could possibly be their relatives. genealogists say that bieber and gossing are 11th cousins once removed. bieber and levine are 12th cousins. whatever that means. >> that's a stretch. coming up next, the parents of a missing girl are ruled out as suspects. more developments in the search for this 10-year-old girl. breaking news in minutes tonight at 6:00. jim graham involved in a new scandal, when he served on the metro board. [ female announcer ] it's one of the hardest decisions

a family can make... realizing a nursing home is the only choice. for many middle class families, medicaid is the only way to afford the care.

but as a governor, mitt romney raised nursing home fees eight times. and as president, his budget cuts medicaid by one-third and burdens families with the cost of nursing home care. we have a president who won't let that happen. [ obama ] i'm barack obama and i approved this message.

a new twist for the search of a little girl in colorado. police found a body miles away from her home. >> police and volunteers continue their search for 10-year-old jessica ridgeway. jay gray has the latest on the gruesome discovery and ongoing investigation. >> it's been almost a week now, and 10-year-old jessica ridgeway still hasn't come home. >> you don't want any parent, any parent to ever experience this in their whole entire life.

to know your child has just been taken. >> overnight investigators found a dismembered body in a rural park about seven miles from jessica's house. >> this is extending the length of time it's taking for the investigation to positively identify who that body is. >> reporter: officers hope to have a positive i.d. sometime tomorrow. right now, though, their  investigation continues. an intense search that is focused on the neighborhood where the 5th grader disappeared on a morning walk to school. choppers scan from the air while teams on horseback and by foot are walking through fields and open areas looking for any clues that may lead them to the little girl. >> we're using every agency, every resource we have to continue in that search. >> reporter: as this community continues to struggle with what's happened. >> it's every parent's worst nightmare. everybody's holding their kids a little bit tighter.

>> reporter: but still clinging to hope. >> we'll never stop looking. >> reporter: a search that becomes more desperate with each hour. jessica is gone. jay gray, nbc news. right now, at 6:00, a new debate and new chance to win over voters is just a few hours away. the vice presidential candidates could make all the difference in a race that's now closer than ever. students at the university of maryland have been robbed at gunpoint. the same suspect time and again. now they're trying to do something about that. a child falls out of a ninth-floor window and survives. we're hearing from the people who rushed to rescue him. but we begin with breaking news. a d.c. council member is involved in a new scandal. good evening, everyone. i'm doreen gentzler. >> and i'm jim vance. an independence review today accuses jim graham of violating metro's code of conduct. that review says graham who once served on metro's board had a